Making Batman Scary Again “Is Important” In Batman: Arkham Origins

Batman’s regular voice-actor, Kevin Conroy, will not be voicing the character in the upcoming Batman: Arkham Origins, according to South African publication NAG magazine(via Kotaku).

NAG reports that Warner Bros. Games Montreal chose to go with a younger actor as the game features a younger Batman than we’re used to seeing. Conroy normally voices a Batman that’s well into his prime or beyond.

While Conroy is easily the most well-known Batman voice, he isn’t the only one that has voiced the character. Among several others, Bruce Greenwood voiced the character in Batman: Under the Red Hood while Ben McKenzie voiced him in the Batman: Year One animated feature.

Meanwhile, the latest issue of GamesMaster magazine reports that making Batman scary again is one of the goals for Warner Bros. Games Montreal. The game takes place at a time when the GCPD is corrupt and out to get Batman, and also shows Captain Gordon’s first meeting with him.

I thought Ben McKenzie was a HORRIBLE voice for Bats, but I’d love to see them call up Greenwood. He was great in Under the Red Hood and his appearances on Young Justice. If not Greenwood, I hope it’s somebody entirely new to the part. Actually, no — Rino Romano was pretty damn great, so I’d love to see him return.

Either way, if they’re aiming for a younger Bats, that shouldn’t mean a significantly softer voice. That was my issue with McKenzie, he didn’t sound the least bit intimidating.

I actually liked McKenzie because he sounded like a guy trying real hard to sound tough and imposing, which was what Year One Batman was. He definitely had that young, just making it up as I go along, feel to him. He did do a great Bruce Wayne though!

I personally wouldn’t mind if he returned, but I have a feeling they’ll pick someone else.

Solomon_Kano

Hm. That’s a good way to look at it actually. I’ll agree that he was fine as Bruce though.

I think what McKenzie also might have been trying to go for was the “emotionless” feel. Kind of dead inside. Bruce has spent years away, now he’s back in Gotham, which brings back all his bad memories. At the same time, he feels nothing and isn’t really allowing himself a life outside of Batman. I think they were on the right track, but the execution didn’t go off so well.

Revorse

Scary? B-man is scary?

Rayshawn Davis

Don’t see why they are trying to make Batman scary:

-He’s a powerful wealthy billionaire, and continues to make more and more money. So if he wanted to, he could hire some special movers and remove you from all of existence.
-Highly trained in martial arts and hand to hand combat
-Highly intelligent and greatly prepared
-Can sneak into any house, mansion, or lockdown facility
-Amazing inventions, with a kickass bulter
-He has his own Batman Credit Card! (Those of you who get the reference are awesome in my book lol)
-And is one with the darkness of the night and is amazingly well focus when he’s determine to handle something when on duty.

Yeah, how can you make Batman scary when he already IS scary lol.

XypherCode

Maybe they’re making a point that being a Bat itself should be scary and not because of what he’s capable of.

Rayshawn Davis

True, that would make more sense, if that’s the case then they are probably aiming for a more Batman Begins kind of approach since many of the thugs and crime lords found Batman intimidating and frightening.

Solomon_Kano

Your first point reminds me of this comic I read where he and Supes fought Lex Luthor and Luthor returned to his office to find the whole building cleared out because Bats bought out his company — and this is while Luthor was President. If that ain’t scary…

Rayshawn Davis

xD My God, do you remember that comic? I HAVE TO READ IT lol That sounds awesomely epic and boss, then again, its Batman so that shouldn’t really surprise me :D

What they mean is, they’re going back to a time when he wasn’t part of the “norm” in Gotham City. Batman today is considered Gotham’s protector, and to an extent, bad guys know what to expect from him. There was a time when that wasn’t the case, and just the idea of some lunatic running around in a bat costume was pretty terrifying.

Rayshawn Davis

Batman Begins approach? Although if it is that case, then what villains will be introduced and how will their origins be handled? (There’s so many of them already @[email protected]) Will Arkham be recently built and running? Or will it be handled differently? From the sound of it, it sounds like this game is before Arkham Asylum is even a proper establishment to house the abnormal and the insane. Although that could just be me reading too much into something that’s not really there lol

From what I heard, Batman Begins was largely influenced by Batman: Year One, and that comic didn’t even have any of his classic rogues’ gallery members. Just organized crime bosses in Gotham. So I would think starting out without any iconic villain is just as doable; it would also give more screentime to Batman, especially considering it’d be an origin story.

Solomon_Kano

Well, to be clear, Montreal has termed this a Year Two tale, so we won’t quite be getting that here.

Hahaha. I remember a similar line from the “World’s Finest” episode, where Lois is with Bruce, and she’s talking about Superman and how great he is. And then she adds, “Not like that Batman of yours in Gotham.”

though the duo in “Dark knight returns” wasn’t that good, the way they wrote supes made him look more like a pawn than an actual superhero =/

Guy Rainey

That actually was the point in both the movie and the comic that inspired it. And Superman realizes that, but he’s justified by thinking that it’s better than not being able to help people at all. At least, that was my take.

Ferrick

true, but then again on the dark knight returns part, the author did confess that he disliked supes alot, that’s why he made supes look more like a govt’s dog than an actual super hero

XiaomuArisu

Making “HaHa” with Harley?XD
Never realised that as a kid

Ferrick

subtle eh ? XD
only realized that years later too

Go2hell66

wait what batman games are supposed to be scary!?

i’m almost tempted to try this game now…
almost…

Solomon_Kano

I believe they’re saying Bats himself, not the game. Like how in Batman Begins he was dropping people off of fire escapes to break their legs, snatching them out of cars, and so on.

Go2hell66

i’m sorry but i don’t see how anyone who wears their underwear on the outside could be even remotely scary

How is Batman supposed to be scary if he is going to show more emotions in this game?

Just give him that freaky mask from Arkham City from Hat and I’ll have nightmares.

cameron forsyth

humans can be scary creatures

idrawrobots

I’m not scared of batman because I’m not a crook.

AkuLord3

“Criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot. I must be a creature. I must be a creature of the night.”

xxx128

It would be nice if they would make batman, batman again :p
You lame hollywood rubber bird you.

And lets face it, i see no reason why this wont be another totally interchangeable run of the mill quick time event/upgrade your gear, tomb raider/dead space/resident evil(?) and so on and forth experience.

Wake

I was a bit indifferent with the story because it was a prequel to AA, but if they’re taking it back to the beginning then I’m excited now. It’s shaping up to have elements of Year One in it, which is a great idea. Plus Bats and Joker meeting for the first time, that’s going to be awesome.

Mecha_the_Hedgehog

First no Dini then no Rocksteady and now no Conroy wow there just trying to make me lose interest.

shaolinsword

I’ve been wanting a Batman vs the world game/film for a while, it looks like I’ll finally get my wish